Part of Me
by Blueberry Absinth
Summary: Toko drabble collection. Fifth one: "You don't know how to cuddle, do you?"
1. Status: Unknown

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_Me_

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Once, long ago, there was a 'me' and 'them'. Only that.

Sometimes, 'them' turned into something more specific, like 'those idiots from the tournament', or 'my crazy parents', or 'those idiots from the Fire Nation'. Sometimes even 'me' turned into 'The Best Earthbender in the world', 'The Blind Bandit'; anything that'd show my complete awesomeness to the world without me really resorting to action. It's nice to have a niceee reputation, after all.

But the point is that it's always been me against the world. The tiny blind girl against everyone else. Defending a front all on my own.

But then, I met Aang and his gang. And then, suddenly, 'me' was gone. No, it wasn't gone; it just wasn't alone anymore. 'Me' was a part of the 'Gaang'.

(and let's face it, the 'Gaang' became much more awesome after I joined it)

Then Fire Princess came.

For him, it was hard to become a part of the Gaang, even after the others accepted him. I guess it must feel weird to be in the presence of the very people you've spent – how much time anyway – following all around the world. So I tried to be – rather – hospitable to him. Which meant a lot of annoying and trying to make that stick up his ass disappear. That way he could loosen up a bit and feel relaxed. However, he never understood my motives and blamed it all on my habit of being awesome. Stupid guy.

However, somewhere on the way, 'me' and 'him' formed something together.

What was it?

No idea.

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	2. Peasant love

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... Damn

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This is the love of a peasant.

Together, we aren't a perfect example of elegance and manners (pff, as if Toph will ever act like a well-mannered lady): more often than not, we stand too close to each other or I had her practically latching on my arm. Our voices are too loud, every time we speak to each other, everyone hears us and our tones, especially hers, are just plain rude.

That is no way a prince of the Fire Nation should act.

A prince of the Fire Nation should have a traditional beauty with a respectful distance between them as his other half. They shouldn't speak to each other unless there is a third party with them, and even then, there mustn't be any arguments: the lady ought to agree with anything the prince says.

(So incredibly boring, as Toph would say. A relationship that doesn't make me feel anything.)

I haven't shed these upbringings yet, even after being exiled and then deflecting and so on. Even though I get emotional quite easily, I still try to be distant and just (but I rather… fail).

But anyway, I can't sit like that and do nothing when there is a girl in front of me who doesn't act like a lady. The little earthbender of an annoyance laughs at me but still I continue to tell her off about her behaviour, the way she talks, walks and generally acts.

"Hey, princess, why do you focus only on me?" once, she's asked me, "There are other girls out there too. Why don't you tell one of them to change their posture for a change?"

I'm still not really sure why it bothers me so much, her utter refusal of her family traditions and rules. She is a princess of sorts, for crying out loud! No one would know that if she continued acting like that! And what's the point of having a high rank and not showing it to people?

And the worst thing is that she's yanking me towards the same path. She wants to take away my meek attempts to be the model prince I want to be. And quite succeeds. And I can only get angry and trash around and throw tantrums and fuck up everything I've managed to do…

(This shouldn't exist.

She invokes way too many feelings in me.)

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	3. Proposal Toph Style

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_Marriage?_

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"You know something?"

"Huh?"

"We should marry."

"WHATT?"

An indignant splutter and everything was suddenly drenched in tea.

"Really? What will the difference be? You will still make me tea and snacks and work as my servant and––"

"No, no, no, no, no––"

"You're getting the cold feet? C'mon, fire princess. The celebration will be awesome and you will look amazing in a dress but I guess we'll have to work out the differences between the weddings of the Earth and Fire Nations. Oh, and you'll have to learn how to dance Earth Nation style. Though, I'm sure it won't b––"

"TOPH!"

Toph grinned evilly at Zuko's expression of true misery.

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**Twas the power of Toko: no cliches, even where they should be :O **

**Anyway, I want to thank all the reviewers! THANKIES! I hope that I've replied to all reviews and if I haven't, feel free to take a cookie and kick my ass xD Hell, all take cookies! COME ON! **


	4. Unnecessary links

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_Flying_

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In the darkness, enveloped by the warmth of the fire, not really seeing the flames, Toph listens to Zuko tell them a story from his home country. It's about a genius inventor and his son who are slaves to a ruthless king ("Hmm," Sokka voices his thoughts, "even the Fire Nation citizens are aware of their bad choices of kings.")

There's magic in the air, hidden in the fire prince's voice, quiet as never, painting pictures without even trying.

Toph can easily see it in her mind's eye; the shape of two men, bent over a tiny desk, working without ever stopping, creating the key to their freedom. She can literally smell their desire to be free, away from the king who's imprisoned them, far, far away, in the blue sky they can at least see. Every fibre of their body desires it and she easily sympathizes with them.

Her hands itch from what she imagines to be the process of making the wings. Her fingers are glued together thanks to the wax that is used to keep the feathers together; her ears are filled with a low, sticky sound whose origin she can't pinpoint. Her skin tickles from the feathers and the soft feeling they give off, making her want to bury her head into a pillow made of those.

Then one beautiful day, they escape, flying high up in the sky, two small and sensible Aang-s; they use the currents at their advantage, almost tearing through the air and scaring the gulls. They are doing something no one else from their kingdom has ever done before.

But the son doesn't heed his father's advices so eventually he falls down, in a glorious bed of plumage and splashes of sea water. The older man cries while watching his younger kin fall to his death but he can't do anything so he flies away, trails of tears behind him.

Toph can see it clearly, as though she isn't blind and is watching the tragedy unfold before her eyes.

She can truly understand what the two men must have felt. Being held back by other people is something she would never wish even for those really deserving of that. The one thing she doesn't get, though, is why the young man dies because he hasn't listened to his father.

That awfully reminds her of her own story.

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(truth is, she can't get those eyes out of her head, burning, dark, shaping a tale with colours she can't see; colours that bleed.)

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Later on, she catches him alone (not that it's that hard to do; that boy is just too much of a social retard. But ah, well. Good for her.). She has all intention of asking him about that story from that now distant evening. As time moved on, she's found herself more and more relating to it and wondering if he's really recounted it for her.

He surely knows her experiences from before the GAang, she's made sure of it (something she really regrets.). He must have–

"Hey, fire princess."

His response is a gruff 'I'm not a girl, so you should stop calling me 'princess',' but she ignores him in favour of asking what she has been wondering those past few days.

"Why did you decide to tell us this story?"

He looks up to her, with way too expressive body and if she were one for those kind of details, she would have noted the fact that he won't make a good Fire King or whatever they called themselves over in their lands if he continues like that (his thoughts can be read so easily it isn't even funny. And she's _blind._)

"Well, I just felt like telling you guys this story. Is it a bad thing?"

"Nah, it isn't," she shrugs it off, happy to have prepared an answer to that, "I was just wondering where it came from."

"What, do you want me to tell you a story?" he grinned jokingly and suddenly she felt like hitting him; for no reason, of course.

Which she did anyway.

Ignoring the way he whimpered, Toph examined her hand, without seeing it, but definitely feeling satisfied by the slight tingle on her knuckles. Her mouth stretched, so that all of her teeth were flashing in that distinct Toph way; she hoped Fire Princess understood well what the punch meant: "I think I'll pass."

Eventually, he finished whimpering and a weird silence descended on them. She was a bit puzzled, especially by his body reactions; his breathing was a bit on the fast side, his hands didn't know where to put themselves (though, after a minute or so they went in some sort of pockets in his pants. A relief for him, she giggled internally.)

Quite some time passed but in the end, she grew way too impatient and decided to be the first one to break the silence.

"Was the story a moral for me?" she asked quietly, finally serious.

"Huh?"

"Soo… you think that I'll die for not listening to my parents?"

She literally feels his all-too-expressive eyes as they dawn upon a realisation. Suddenly, his whole face, his whole body is filled with excitement and maybe even some mischievousness and he looks up, a smirk etched lazily on his lips then he says.

"Not die… but fall maybe."

And then he left her to imagine dark eyes she'd never known the shape of, filled with a fire equal to the sun that once destroyed a foolish son.

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><p><strong>Weird mood = weird writing xD<strong>

**To anonymous reviewer _grreeeblaaahh_: I've actually pre-written some drabbles, but I always forget to upload them (like with this chapter 'looks away') And I hope this was long enough for you ^.^ **

**AND CONTINUE REVIEWING! I LOVE YOU ALL! C:**


	5. rawrrrr

**Next chapter will be bigger and awesomer :O :D **

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><p>...<p>

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_Rawrrr_

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"Ouch! Hey! Careful with those arms!"

"Well, if you could just stop moving, I may be able to do my thing properly! …"

"…"

"…"

"You don't know how to cuddle, do you?"

"NONSENSE! I've had girlfriends before, you know!"

"One girlfriend, and you can't really say she's one for cuddling…"

"WHAT? Mai was perfectly fine with me hugging her! We've spent all days—"

"Sparky, Sparky, Sparky. Never forget the important rule: don't talk about your former girlfriends to your current girlfriend. Plus, I think that Mai was perfectly fine with smooching off your face, rather than hugging you!"

"…"

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

"…"

"Come on, Sparky! Show me what you've got!"

"You asked for it!"

"…"

"…"

Unidentified noise and a swish of silken clothes.

"I feel weird."

"WHAT!"

"Well, your arm is kind of awkward and I can definitely feel you aren't relaxed. Shouldn't you be relaxed and cozy when you cuddle?"

"You aren't making it any more comfortable OR relaxing!"

"Tough luck princess. I ain't likin' it."

"Wait but— the others loved it…"

"First of all, the other liked it. And she was a sarcastic weirdo who loved sarcasm. What do you expect?"

Nervous shuffling. Annoyed murmurs.

"Princess, if you want to say something, say it loud and clear. You are supposed to be the king, you know this stuff."

More annoyed sounds and some weird movements.

"Is it fine now?"

"Nope."

"ARGHHHH! What else do you want!"

The sound of a small body jumping another, bigger body and then both of the bodies falling heavily on the bed. Silk against silk. Two hearts beating fast, for two entirely different reasons.

Toph's smile is way too close to his mouth.

"Now that's perfect."

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